Saw this stunning piece in the Register. Now, I agree that some alternative revenue model has to be found to compensate people who make music and films for a living, but this one is political and commercial suicide for whoever implements it. (Brief summary. Tax per Gb on devices that can store information that might be copyrighted, i.e. any disc drive device that can play .mp3's. Only the tax is so high is going to cost more than the device. Yep, you read that right...) Incidentally the model I prefer is flat fee licencing to a distributor network. Like radio is today.
Now, if were a business or consumer in Holland, and I could see that I was paying twice what the French or the Danish were paying for their equipment, then I would import it, and in the EU you have some right to do so. Also, what about machines that are brought in from outside the country. Is it like the Swiss motorway, where you pay your 40 CHF stamp for the right to use the roads? Will Schipol airport have a squad of disc taxers waiting on the tarmac.
"Anyting to dekhlare, zsur?
"Yes, over 3000 EUR worth of empty disc space.."
"To jail wizh you you noughtie phirate."
Eh? I mean this is beyond satirical. Can they serious think that this will help them rather than hastening the day when people just loose it altogether with the entertainment industry?
Additionally, what about business users. Are they seriously saying that Shell, Phillips or ABn Amro have to pay a fee like this for every desktop device that might play music. And if not, then just get your machine for "work purposes"...
I must be missing something, the proposal must make more sense in the Dutch original, surely?
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